I have recently been named an ASICS Running Influencer, and, on the advice of my running coach, I chose the new DynaFlyte 3, in which to run and train.

ASICS has, however, placed me under no obligation whatsoever to write a review, favourable or otherwise, of these shoes.

So, what do I think about these shoes so far?

I’ve only had these lovely shoes for 2 weeks, but have already run 101km in them, including a half marathon.

So I feel that a “first impressions” review is in order.

I live in New Delhi, India and in the 2 weeks since I’ve used these shoes, I’ve run on a variety of surfaces:

on a dirt track in my local biodiversity park

on grass in the park where we train

on roads

and then, also on roads, a half marathon

The shoes felt comfy from the first second I put them on, in the shop, and had the lacing explained to me, including the need to use the spare holes, as you can see in the photo, below:
I’m just a humble runner, not a running-shoe expert, so this might not be as technical a review as it should be.

Here are the official technical specs:

As I said, from the outset, the shoes felt super comfy, and I have had no discomfort, no blisters, nothing. I wondered whether running a half in them, after only 80km testing, was a good idea, but since they had felt so good since Day One, I decided to go for it.

Wise decision.

We had a good run (gold medal in my senior age category) so my DynaFlyte 3s and I have got off to a great start.

As the tag line says, I did indeed “feel fast”.

The shoes also feel incredibly light.

They really do.

I didn’t weigh my shoes, so offer you the detail below as I found it online:

Weight: 8.9 Ounces (men’s size 9)

The cushioning at the back of the shoe – the Rearfoot Gel technology – is there to mitigate the shock of the impact on your heels and it makes for a great, comfortable feel:

Then there’s the Flytefoam gel being Lyte technology midsole, the combined effect of this and the gel making the shoes feel incredibly bouncy.

I know that “bouncy” is not a technical term, but it is most definitely the way these shoes feel – lovely and bouncy.

They are easy to put on, and fit snugly.

The ASICS logo is super discreet, and (in a cool touch) it is almost more visible when a light is shone on it – making them, I imagine, strikingly visible at night. I’ve yet to run in them in the dark, so cannot speak from experience to that, but look at how the logo can be seen when the flash is on, in the photo above. The name on the heel is also highly visible when light is shone on it.

I’ll keep on running in these shoes over the coming weeks and months and will post a couple more reviews, as we evolve together.

But, since first impressions do count…

I love the colour. Absolutely love it.

The shoes feel super light. You almost don’t feel they’re there.

Despite the lightness, they cushion your feet perfectly.

The laces are easy to hold and tie.

So far, so good.

Pretty much love at first sight for me, and since we won a gold medal together, I think we’re going to get along just fine together.

When I asked Anyuta Dhir, one of my ASICS Running Club friends, to share her thoughts on her first ever half marathon, I knew I’d get happiness.

And how!

Anyuta is fairly new to running, and indeed only touched 13km for the first time at the end of August.

Less than 2 months later, voilà!

Her first half marathon. Done & dusted.

This is a young woman with determination, grit, and oodles of enthusiasm and passion, and she totally deserves the joy of her first half.

Here you, the lady in her own, inimitable words 🙂

“They say LIFE IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU MAKE IT…..

I realized more than that in this RUNNING GROUP that I joined just a few months ago.

All the wonderful BEINGS I met….made me a RUNNER out of the FREE SPIRIT I never knew I HAD.

List of Acknowledgement is endless….but today OUT OF NOTHING I AM A HALF MARATHONER….that too a first timer.

How every, bit was contributed by these beautiful souls I met every morning…and today though I FEEL it’s me but I KNOW IT’s the CREATION of GOD that made me reach here and the VIA MEDIA his creations IN WHO I CALL FRIENDS.

This BIG DAY, I RAN rather was made to run with my AWESOME PACER who pulled me through in the literal sense….made me learn DETERMINATION and COMMITMENT…

SINCE I HAVE JOINED THE GROUP I HAVE LEARNT TO GIVE, TO MAKE WAY, AND TO ACCEPT THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD AS IS….and the RESULT IS MATCHLESS…

FULL OF LOVE, FULL OF JOY, HEALTH, and VITALITY not to mention the UNIVERSE FULL OF AFFINITY I GET.

NO WONDER I REALISED THAT I RUN ONLY FOR ONE CAUSE AND THE CAUSE IS LOVE.

ADHM 2018

21 km

DEBUTANT 02:35 Hours….

ONLY BECAUSE OF ALL MY RUNNING COLLEAGUES, COACH, GUIDING LIGHTS, INSPIRATION and FRIENDS.

How I love these 2, Kathakoli Dasgupta, the gal who got me running 5 years ago, and her met-in-India hubby Dave Hogg.

They both ran a race yesterday and they both share their stories here.

(Pause for everyone to say “Awww…” 🙂 )

I didn’t even have to badger them to write, bless ’em.

By the way, you need to know that Dave was injured recently, by the way.

So, Katha first:

“There are some races that you just do, some you are proud of and some that make you happy. Today’s Great South Run was the happiest I have felt during a race.

The weather was gorgeous, the energy infectious, the music uplifting, the cheer from the crowds super encouraging. I did high-fives with every kid I could reach and was beaming throughout the 10 miles.

What makes this race even more memorable is that Portsmouth’s historic sea front has a special significance for Dave’s family; plus Dave’s achieved another milestone in the road to recovery—he is running again, having started to jog a few days back, and finished the race in 1:20:53! I wasn’t far behind and am pretty chuffed with my 1:29:32. #HappyRunner “

Now over to Dave:

“So I wrote last week about new found enjoyment from walking whilst I couldn’t run after an accident. Since then I’ve taken steps back to running, first a short jog, then a longer one, then further again. It felt really weird as I’ve never had such a long time not running (albeit 6 weeks) since I started running 19 years ago: my muscles just weren’t used to it and had lost their running edge. But given we drove six hours to run the Great South Run—or at least for my wife Katha to—and the weather was unseasonably fantastic, I couldn’t but reverse my decision not to run. It wasn’t easy, but I gritted my teeth and got round the course in a not unreasonable time. And the best thing was that, with no pressure to race or get a PB, I again got to enjoy the coastal scenery en route.”

Dave, as a fellow Brit, I applaud your totally British understatement – “not unreasonable time”. Arre, baba, you’re running after being knocked off your bike, and you do 10 miles in 1:20. Amazing stuff.

For almost 2 years now, I’ve been going regularly to a Delhi running group, twice a week. The ASICS Running Club was started just after the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in late 2016, and indeed I attended their very first session, and have been a regular ever since, travels notwithstanding.

Nearly 2 years on, & I have made definite progress in my running and overall fitness, that’s for sure.

But I haven’t made spectacular progress. That’s also for sure.

And the blame for that lies uniquely with me.

I don’t train as much or as hard or as diligently as I should. For example, I still can’t do push-ups properly…note to self – need to restart that aborted 30 day push-up challenge I started a couple of months ago.

Our Running Coach, Vijay Shukla, is dedicated, caring, and treats every runner with equal attention and courtesy. Which is why he deserves better than the performance I fear I’m going to give in this Sunday’s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

I’m not really sure what is going on in my head and in my heart right now, but I’m feeling possibly the least confident and the least psyched-up I’ve ever felt before a race.

Is it nerves?

I’m not sure.

Is it being under-prepared?

Most definitely.

I have yet to get close to cracking a sub 2 half marathon, which is a sort-of magical figure for runners.

My best was 2:05 about 3 years ago, when I ran on the Formula 1 circuit in NOIDA in torrential rain, and just wanted the damn thing to be over and done with as quickly as possible 😜

My ‘average’ HM time hovers around 2:10, and so that elusive 1:59:59 remains just that. Elusive and, this year for sure, totally unattainable.

No matter how many times you tell yourself “age is just a number”, as you grow older, there are inevitably moments of self doubt, of regret, of wishful thinking.

I doubt there’s an older person on the planet who hasn’t had one such moment.

I certainly have.

Wishing I’d done x.

Not done x.

Said this.

Not said that.

All part of growing up and growing old, I s’pose.

But (other than still not writing that brilliant, award winning novel I KNOW is waiting to be written 😛 ) I am currently in the enviable position of doing “young people” stuff.

And thoroughly enjoying it.

I celebrated my 65th birthday by running one of the world’s highest half marathons, up in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, and by being appointed a running influencer by ASICS, the Japanese sports brand.

Now how super fun is THAT?

Oh yes, before we go any further, let me share this clipping (below) with you, which I saw a few months ago, and kept especially for a blog post such as this.

This is STUPENDOUS news 🙂 🙂 🙂

I. Am. Officially. Young.

This is super exciting news, you realise.

It means that I am in the same official age category as my children! Of everyone in my running group!

I am no longer a freak, an old lady hanging with the cool kids.

I. Am. Officially. Young.

Joking aside, taking up running when I turned 60 has proved to be one of the most intelligent things I have ever done.

Truly.

Never felt healthier in my entire life.

I have had fewer illnesses, fewer colds, coughs, and sniffles over the course of the past 5 years then ever.

To offset this, of course, I’ve tripped and fallen during runs. But that is small fry compared to the fact that I am w-a-y healthier than ever before, and that significant markers for a woman my age (like bone density) have improved hugely since I started running.

My knees, that gave me so much trouble in my late 40s and then in my 50s, no longer trouble me. (Tries not to think about the cost of 2 double arthroscopies & the money we could’ve saved if I’d discovered running earlier 😛 )

But running is proving to be my window to better health, to fitness and – let’s be frank – to a whole new world.

A brave new world of fluorescent Ts and age-inappropriate clothing.

Of new music.

Of making friends with great youngsters, who welcome me with kindness, and never seem to mind my hanging out with them.

It’s led me to take better care of myself diet-wise and sleep-wise than before.

I’m even thinking about joining a gym.

Quite.

And, the icing on the cake, to be considered influencer material by ASICS is exciting.

And a great honour.

On Sunday, I went to the Bryan Adams concert in Gurgaon, the satellite city next to Delhi (where I live).

Obviously the “Summer of 69” was amazing.

Obviously “Here I am” was very special. It’s been the first song on my running playlist since Day One. I find it uplifting and encouraging and it calms me down in those first few minutes of getting out of the stadium, in a big crowd, and trying to get into my stride…

And then came the iconic “18 till I die”, which had a new line.

I guess Mr. Adams, now that he’s nearly 59, felt he had to update one crucial word:

“Someday I’ll be eighteen goin’ on fifty five, eighteen ’til I die”

On Sunday, 55 became 65, and I shouted out with glee on hearing it 🙂

Don’t believe me?

Here you go.

Proof:

[jwplayer mediaid=”29991″]

So, off I go on an exciting new adventure, that of being a running influencer. If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, please do.

Please feel free to ask me questions about running and training and exercise, and I’ll try to answer as best I can, either here or on Insta.

India is going through its own #MeToo movement, with the naming and (theoretical) shaming of Bollywood personalities and politicians. I use the word “theoretical” advisedly, since in the case of a journalist-turned-politician M.J.Akbar, he is brazening it out, and our government remains steadfastly silent about the fact that their junior minister for External Affairs stands accused of sexual harassment.

Speaks volumes about the way India regards its women.

All of this is by way of introduction to the following story shared by my running friend, Shalini Verma.

For readers not familiar with the places Shalini mentions in her account, all you need to know is that this took place in Gurgaon, a bold, brash, brand new satellite town next to Delhi, where many of the biggest companies have their HQs and where there are glitzy towers blocks and malls galore and…read on, and you’ll see what else there is.

The other thing you might need to know is that ADHM refers to the big half marathon taking place in Delhi this Sunday.

And now, over to Shalini:

“As part of #ADHM training, my friend & I were doing a 3 hour run today. We started at 5am from Galleria and went till Mega Mall near Bristol Hotel.

When we were crossing the metro station, a white scooty crossed us from the wrong side and the driver touched my friend’s butt…and drove away.

We both were shocked and for few second did not know how to react. Then we saw him crossing us from the service lane side.

We both decided to follow him. So we started running towards Mega Mall. After a few minutes we were not able to see his scooty. We thought he must have gone, so we turned and started running again.
But no…… he came back again and stopped at the Galleria turn…. after a few seconds, he took a right turn towards Galleria.

We both decided to catch hold of him, thinking that there are cops near Galleria market, so we might be able take their help.

But within a second he again turned back and started coming towards us …… by then we knew what we are going to do….. I was ready with my water bottle and she was ready with hers.

When he was about to cross us, we both ran towards him. He was not ready for this attack…. my friend pushed him towards the road dividers ….and he lost his balance. That’s when we caught hold of him and started slapping him left … right … centre.

I used my water bottle to hit hard on his face and head. Since he was on a scooty he managed to escape …
But we both felt nice….and then we went on and completed our run.”

Firstly, ewww that yet another woman was groped by some low life man.

Been there, sad to say, on several occasions.

Secondly – WELL DONE, ladies, for fighting back. Great reaction and brave of you to tackle him.

In my experience of being groped when I’ve been out running, no one, repeat no one, comes to your aid, not even the cops.

So you 2 handled this as well as you could.

So bad that this stuff happens. But then look at what is NOT happening with the #MeToo movement…

This time next week, fingers crossed, I should be safely tucked up in bed, race gear all laid out, ready for a super early start.

Next Sunday’s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon starts at 5 o’clock in the morning, which will mean reporting at 4.15 latest, which will mean leaving the house at 3.45, which will mean getting up at…

Pause while I hyperventilate.

I had this exact same conversation this morning with Vaibhav, one of my ASICS Running Club mates, and I think we ended up deciding we’d have to be in bed by 6pm 😛

Jeez Louise!

This fretting about the time I’ll have to get up pre-race, is all part and parcel of the countdown to an event, and in the 5 years since I entered this exciting world of running, I’ve learned that nerves are all part of the process.

So better to get them over and done with in advance.

Further proof, if it were required, that I’m in race countdown mode is that I tinkered with my playlist today. Added a couple, moved a few around. That kind of stuff.

And thus it will go on all week, as race day gets closer.

In our running club meet this morning, we did just one fast hill work out: 20 x at a fast pace, about 80% of our normal fast pace, according to Coach. Between you and me, I was crushed when I was giving it my all (or so I thought) and was told by Coach to speed it up…ah well 😛

But it felt good to pit myself against a stronger runner like Saurabh, and sort of keep up with him (below):

But other than this short and fast drill, we mostly worked on strength and stretching, and we did some different strength exercises, which were fun and challenging at the same time. The idea is to taper, gradually, before race day.

The weather is beyond perfect in Delhi at the moment – borderline chilly at 5.50 when we started – and it feels invigorating, after the muggy summer humidity.

One of our members, Sushil Hooda, made a lovely video of this morning, which sums up our training, with a week to go before race day. It also gives you an idea of the fabulous light, early in the morning.

The young woman who was my first contact in the world of running 5 years ago, Kathakoli Dasgupta, is now married and living in England. Katha married a fellow runner, Dave, and if you haven’t already read their running love story, here you go – such a great story 🙂

Over the years, Katha has been a regular and generous contributor to this blog, but today we hand the reins over to hubby Dave.

Here, let him explain himself what he saw when he was out today:

“6 weeks ago I was knocked off my bike by a rogue driver. Hospitalised and unable to train. I had to change my mindset to not be frustrated by not running, cycling, having the same level of fitness as before the accident. One great way I’ve found is to walk in the country. Walking instead of running means you get to see things that you wouldn’t otherwise. On today’s walk-substitute-run I saw a tractor ploughing competition — never knew this existed and a great sight to lift me.”

Firstly, great that you’re back on your feet, Dave, Get well, soon, my friend.

And yes, who knew there were tractor ploughing competitions?! 😛

And the weather looks smashing, by the way.

Thanks, Dave, and looking forward to seeing you back on your feet, literally and metaphorically.

PS – these tractors were strutting their stuff in Willangham in Cambridgeshire.